Method of manufacturing shoes



March'24', 1925. 1,531,057

` W. A. WITHERS METHOD OF MAUFACTURING SHOES Filed Feb, 11, 1924 v2 Sheets-Sheet 1 '1,531,057 w. A. WITHERS METHOD 0l MANUFACTURING SHOES um nb. 11, 1924 2 sheets-snm '2 Patented Mar. 24, 1925.

WILLIAM A. WITHERS, or ELIZABETHTOWN,

. SHOE COMPANY,

TION IVENNSYLVANIA.

. METHOD or MANUFACTIIRING sHoEs Application led February 11, '1924. Serial No. 691,885.

l To all whom t may concer/a:

Be it known that I. WILLIAM A. WITHERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elizabethtown, in the county of Lancaster and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new'and Improved yMethod of Manufacturing Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to shoes and to methods of makingthe same.

@ne object of my invention is to provide a shoe that shall be free from lasting cords or tacks. i

Another objectof my invention is to provide alshoethat shall have the adjacent surfaces of the soles free fromv the unevenness caused ,by the-presence of lasting cords or i tacks.

, It is also an object of my invention to provide an improvedI method of manufacture of shoes.

It is still another object of ymy invention to provide a method of manufacturing shoes characterized by permitting moist leather to dry intoits final shape, thereby eliminating the use of permanent lasting cords or tacks.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a method of making shoes, steps in which consist of drawing a moist welt into position over an insole and then permitting the welt to dry in place after which yit remains in position without the aid of lasting cords or tacks.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is an elevational view, ofa shoe upper andwelt sewed in their initial position,

Figure 2 is a plan view of the inner sole and attached welt and upper,

Figure 3 is a view, partially in section and partially in elevation, of the parts shown in Figure 2, fitted upon a lforming last,

Figure 4 is a similar view of a shoein an intrmediate step in its assembly of the shoe, an

Figure 5 is a similar view of a completed shoe.

My invention consists, in general, of sewing a moistened welt to an assembled shoe upper, turning the welt over the outer face of theL inner sole, retainingthewelt in this position until it becomes dried, gluing an outer sole to the assembled inner sole andv welt, trimming the assembled weltA and outer Vfar as they sole, and then sewing the welt.

outer sole to the Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown a shoe :PENNsYLvANIm Ass-IerNoRV troy w.l A. orA ELIZABETHTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, n CORPORA- upper 11, comprising a plurality of sections 12, 18 and 14 that are suitably fastened together, as by sewingythe section 14 being provided with suitable eyes 15 for the reception of lacings, (not shown). These parts u may be of any conventional form as they form no part of my invention except in so are necessary to complete the combination manufacture hereinafter' described.

of parts andthe method ofv vThe lower edge of a moistened welt 16 is sewed to the lower edge of the upper 11, the upper edge of the welt 16 being left free from the upper l1. The upper 11 is then placed over a last17 and an inner sole 18 y is placed over the bottom face of the last 17 and inside of the upper 1 'Referringto Figs.v 2 and 3, the lower edge of the upper 11 and the attached welt 16 are then forced over the outer Vedge of the l inner sole 18 and secured by lasting` tacks 19. Lastingl cords maybe usedv in lieu of the tacks 19 if desired, as'they are equivalent fastening means. H

'The shoe is then permittedto remain in this condition until the welt 16 becomes dried and assumes a permanent shape. The outer edge of the welt 16 assumes a position substantially in the plane of the inner sole 18 and at right angles to the adjacent undeformed portion of the upper 11.

The tacks 19 are thereupon removed, or the lasting cords are removed, if employed. The shoe is then held in the assembled position on the last 17 only by the resistance to bending of the welt 16. `The shoe is now free from tacks or lasting cords that might cause unevenness of the inner so-lel of the finished shoe in service.

A layer of adhesive 21, such as paste or mucilage, is then spread over the exposed surfaces of the welt 16 and the inner sole 18. As shown in Fig. 1, the outer sole 22 is then pressed upon the prepared surface and is held there by the adhesive 21. A cork filler is inserted if desired.

The sole 22 is held in this manner during the trimming operations, after which it is stitched, as at`23, in Fig. 5, to the eX- tending portion of the welt 16. The sur face of the sole 22 is then rolled in order as dipping. l

Accordingly, I have provided a ymethod of making` shoes that is characterized by drawing the edge of a shoe upper and anl attached moistened welt over an inner sole, temporarily securing thesek parts `in place until the Welt dries, and then making use lof the resistance to change `of shape offered by the dried welt for holding the parts together during subsequent operations in the manufacturing. of the shoes. I also-trim the outer sole while it is held to the assembled shoe only by la layer of adhesive and before the final securing `stitches are lsewed through the outer sole and the welt.

Various changes and .modifications may be made in the details :and arrangements of my invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, as set 'forth-in' the appended claims.

I claim as my invention: 1

l. A method of making shoes that includes sewing an edge of a moistened welt to an edge of a shoe upper, drawing the attached edges of the upper and welt over the edge of an inner sole and temporarily securing them thereto, permitting the welt to dry, removing the temporary securing means, utilizing the resistance to cha-nge of shape ofered by the dried welt for holding p and then securing an outer sole thereto.

`2. A method of making shoes that includes sewing an edgegof a moistened welt to -an edge of av shoe upper, drawing the at tached edges of the upper and welt over the vedge of an yinner sole and temporarily securing them thereto, permitting the welt to dry, removing-the temporary securing means, utilizing the resistancelto change of shape offered by the dried Welt for holding the assembled area of the inner soleand welt, covering the exposed. surface with an adhesive, placing an outer sole thereon, trimming said outer sole, andl then sewing said outer sole to the other edge of the welt.

3. A method of making shoes that ncludes attaching an edge of a Welt to an edge of a shoe upper, the welt being moistened, drawing the attached edges of the upper and Weltover the edgev of anlinner sole and temporarily securing themtihereto, permitting the welt to dry, removing the temporary securing means, and' then utilizing the resistance to change of shape oferedby the dried welt forholding the assembled shoe in shape during a subsequent operation.

4. A method of making shoes that includes placing a moistened welt over an inner sole, holding the moistened welt in position until it becomes dry, and then utilizing the resistance to change of shape of the dried Welt for-.holding the assembled shoe in shape during Subsequent operatmus. e

, v WITHERS. 

